The thing I like about Patterson that I don't think anyone else has said is he's pretty good at guarding guys one on one in the post. He's a lot stronger than people think and he rarely falls for pump fakes. He might actually be slightly better than Amir at that. Amir when healthy though is the much more superior help defender.

The thing I like about Patterson that I don't think anyone else has said is he's pretty good at guarding guys one on one in the post. He's a lot stronger than people think and he rarely falls for pump fakes. He might actually be slightly better than Amir at that. Amir when healthy though is the much more superior help defender.

This is accurate.

2Pat is built like a brick house.
He's only been in the NBA for half as long as Amir. His help defense could improve.

The production 2Pat's been giving us from the 4 spot has been awesome.
Important to remember that Amir's been playing hurt though - his stretch of games over the new year was amazing.

Couple of points:
1. 2Patt is a great fit next to JV. Offensively, his ranhe and Pick n' Pop game creates passing lanes into the post (also benefits our slashing guards) as well as opens up more space to operate (which JV needs, as he has a tendency to cough up the ball in traffic). Defensively, he's more mobile than Amir and JV, which allows him to cover PnRs and recover much more effectively, thus reducing the number of 2 on 1s JV faces at the rim. Also, Patterson has played almost exclusively at the 4 over the course of his career, which benefits our defense as he's better equipped to handle the perimeter oriented 4s of the league. Conversely, Amir has a tendency to occupy the same defensive coverages as JV, as his time with the Raptors has been spent mostly at the 5 spot.

2. As much as I love Amir, I really don't think he's as effective as a starter in comparison to his impact as the 1st big off the bench. If you look at his numbers over his career, he's most efficient and effective when playing around 23-26 minutes a night, as once he surpasses that point, you start to see significantly diminished returns as playing time increases. The added stress on his body also contributes to the kinds of high usage injuries that further limit his effectiveness, such as the ankle sprain currently keeping him out of games.

3. While Amir certainly cannot create his own shot and function as a traditional 6th man (i.e. instant offense, isolation plays, etc.). He can, however, still serve as the focal point of a bench unit's offense via the Pick n' Roll. As eluded to in one of RR's recent articles on 2Patt, highly effective PnR bigs (see Chandler, Tyson) can facilitate a team's offense and create looks for teammates by collapsing the opposition's D in the paint and attracting multiple defenders. The resulting floor spacing ultimately provides a capable pass-first point guard (i.e. Vasquez) with open passing lanes to 3 point shooters (Novak, Ross, Lowry, Salmons, 2Patt) and slashing guards in addition to the rollman himself. This is great for a team like the Raptors, as we only have a few players capable of creating opportunities for themselves, especially outside the starting 5. We do, however, have players who can score quite effectively if given the opportunity. This is the reason why so many teams heavily favor the PnR, and one of the reasons why 3 point specialists have become such a valued commodity. So, while Amir can't carry the bench's offense single handedly, he can - in tandem with Vasquez - serve as a much needed offensive facilitator.

P.s., if you look at previous situations where Vasquez was effective, you'll probably find a capable pick n, roll partner in almost every instance. Thanks for reading and I apologize for the post's length. Go Raps!

Patrick Patterson is younger. Can shoot stretches the defense, provides spacing for offense. No real post game but that can come still a better post player than Amir. Great help defender, makes 3 pointers fast quick release on his shot, high motor and Awesome nickname.

Im a huge fan of 2Patt Amir has hit his ceiling he will never be better than what he is right now. He could be a lucrative trade chip.